The Review of Maritime Transport, an annual publication prepared by the UNCTAD secretariat, identifies major developments in world maritime transport and provides worldwide statistical data. Emphasis is given to the development of merchant marines in developing countries as compared with other groups of countries, and to the correlation between development of global trade and overall maritime transport activities. The Review highlights trends in seaborne trade and analyses the performance of maritime trade and shipping in different regions, focusing particularly on problems faced by developing countries.
The 1999 edition examines recent trade and transport developments in Latin America and points to the need to expand shipping services and modernize the merchant fleets in the region. According to the report, high transportation costs are a barrier to trade competitiveness, in particular for small island developing countries in the Caribbean and landlocked countries in South America
